From: jcs
Savannah Gold’s Disappearance and Initial Investigation
On August 2, 2017, at approximately 5:15 p.m., 21-year-old Savannah Gold left her parents’ home and drove to the Bonefish Grill on San Jose Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida, where she was scheduled to work a 5:30 p.m. shift as a waitress [00:00:01]. She never arrived for her shift [00:00:20].
Suspicions arose about 1 hour and 15 minutes after she left home when her father received an unusual text message from her phone [00:00:32]. Her older brother also received a similar text 43 seconds later [00:00:49]. The family immediately knew something was wrong as the texts claimed she was running away with an unidentified man without packing clothes, and the messages contained errors and a writing style uncharacteristic of Savannah [00:01:02]. Her phone was switched off when they tried calling [00:01:21]. After confirming she hadn’t shown up for work, they filed a missing-persons report with the police [00:01:24].
Less than two hours after she was last seen, Savannah’s car was found unlocked and abandoned in the Bonefish Grill parking lot; only her phone was missing, while her wallet, ID, and other valuables remained [00:01:32]. Investigators reviewed parking lot surveillance tapes, which became the primary piece of evidence [00:01:45]. The footage, largely undisclosed to the public, showed Savannah parking her car at 5:31 p.m., then conversing with an occupant in another vehicle for 14 minutes [00:01:58]. At 5:45 p.m., she entered the backseat of that vehicle [00:02:10]. Fourteen seconds later, the car began shaking sporadically, indicating a struggle, and the rear door swung open three times before being forcefully shut [00:02:14]. This lasted 49 seconds until the vehicle stopped moving [00:02:28]. A male figure then exited, walked to Savannah’s car, took what police believed was her phone, slashed her front tire with a knife, and returned to his vehicle, driving away at 6:04 p.m. [00:02:30] Savannah was never seen exiting the car [00:03:01]. The male figure was described as having short brown hair and being roughly 5 foot 11 [00:02:41].
Leroy Daugherty Identified as Prime Suspect
Over the next two days, investigators discreetly interviewed Bonefish Grill staff, asking about Savannah [00:03:30]. Within 48 hours, they identified three potential suspects whose vehicle information was run through the motor insurance database [00:03:44]. The third suspect, Leroy Daugherty, 28, matched the description of the vehicle seen in the surveillance footage – a 2012 silver Chevy Malibu [00:03:58]. Daugherty, a manager and head chef at the Bonefish Grill, had been the first person interviewed about Savannah’s disappearance, where he claimed he hadn’t seen her in three weeks and knew nothing of her whereabouts [00:04:08]. However, co-workers revealed he had been in an on-and-off relationship with Savannah for the past eight months, which was against company policy [00:04:21]. Despite a seemingly successful life and charming reputation, Daugherty became the prime suspect in a kidnapping investigation [00:04:43].
The Interrogation and Confession
On August 5, police arrested Leroy Daugherty during his shift, falsely informing him it was for an outstanding traffic warrant [00:04:52]. He was taken to the JSO Police Department and left alone for 90 minutes before Detective Rae Reeves, who had previously interviewed him about Savannah, entered the room, escalating Daugherty’s fear [00:05:11].
The detectives employed psychological strategies during the interrogation:
- Open-ended Questions: The detective started with an open-ended question about Daugherty’s relationship with Savannah, aiming to elicit a lengthy, detailed response, common from individuals with something to hide who seek approval or appeasement [00:08:46]. Daugherty provided an extensive narrative about their relationship, Savannah’s drug use, and their breakup [00:09:52].
- False Sense of Security: After Daugherty initially lied about his last contact with Savannah, stating it was weeks prior [00:13:06], the detective’s questions implied they believed his evolving story. This was to get Daugherty to relax and provide more details, creating a narrative that could later be contradicted by the undisclosed evidence [00:17:56].
- Confrontation and Contradiction: When Daugherty claimed Savannah left his car and got into a green pickup truck [00:16:44], the detectives knew this was false due to the surveillance footage. They allowed him to elaborate on this fabricated alibi, trapping him in a lie [00:17:16].
- Direct Accusation: The detectives directly accused Daugherty of involvement in Savannah’s disappearance, asking “Where is Savannah right now?” [00:22:55]. His composed demeanor and lack of shock suggested he anticipated the confrontation [00:23:20].
- Appealing to Morality and Empathy: The detectives appealed to Daugherty’s conscience, emphasizing Savannah’s family’s right to closure and calling his silence “pretty cheap” [00:24:13].
- Revelation of Evidence: The female detective then revealed the critical surveillance footage, stating unequivocally that Savannah “never got out of your car” and that they had video proof [00:26:21].
- Alternative Questions: They offered alternative scenarios, such as whether Savannah overdosed, to lower the admission threshold and encourage Daugherty to confess to a less morally reprehensible act than murder [00:27:41].
After repeated denials and pressure, Daugherty eventually amended his story, admitting that Savannah did not leave his car at the Bonefish Grill but instead went to his house [00:31:42].
The interrogation tape cuts off at a critical moment [00:33:12]. However, it is known that Leroy Daugherty admitted to killing Savannah Gold [00:33:23]. He claimed he killed Savannah by breaking her neck, then took her body back to his house, burned it in a self-made fire pit, and dumped her remains in a lake at the end of a secluded road [00:33:27]. The medical examiner could not pinpoint the exact cause of death but concluded it was a violent homicide, noting Savannah had injuries to over 75 percent of her body [00:33:40]. Footage released immediately after the confession shows Daugherty in overwhelming emotional distress [00:34:02].
Legal Proceedings and Defense Claims
Leroy Daugherty was remanded into custody at Duval County Jail and denied bond [00:39:00]. Despite the overwhelming evidence and the prospect of life in prison without parole, he pled not guilty [00:39:04].
His defense claim asserted that Savannah’s killing was an act of self-defense [00:39:11]. He claimed to have feared for his life after Savannah, who was 5 feet tall and weighed 91 pounds, slapped him multiple times in the face [00:39:19]. Daugherty, who stands at 5 foot 11 and weighs 163 pounds, stated that he then grabbed her neck, felt a “pop,” and realized he had accidentally broken it, resulting in her death [00:39:14]. The state’s attorney’s office has not commented on this motion, but the trial was expected to commence in the summer of 2020 [00:39:32].